Overview
- Brown, speaking Friday to Sky Sports, called claims that Gianpiero Lambiase is being lined up to replace team principal Andrea Stella “total nonsense.”
- Lambiase is contracted to join McLaren as chief racing officer after his Red Bull deal ends, and Brown said an early start is possible only if Red Bull agrees to release him.
- McLaren is in dialogue with Red Bull about timing but Brown said the team will respect the contract and is prepared to wait until 2028 if needed.
- Brown said he is committed to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, adding that McLaren is not pursuing Max Verstappen and suggesting Mercedes would be a likelier destination if he moved.
- Speculation grew because Lambiase has long served as Verstappen’s race engineer at Red Bull and the champion team has stumbled early in 2026, which McLaren says rivals are using to try to destabilize it.